Robot-guided neurosurgery in patients with epilepsy involves accurately mapping the skull to identify the entry points and target areas. A recent study compared the clinical utility of a contactless optical method with the conventional method, which requires repeated contacts. The study demonstrates that optical tracking is accurate, less time-consuming, and easily learned by new users. These findings pave the way for faster and more error-free surgical interventions for epilepsy.

The limited fast-charging capability and safety concerns caused by lithium dendrite growth have long hindered the development of high-performance graphite anodes in lithium-ion batteries. While various interface engineering strategies have been proposed, a solution that simultaneously facilitates lithium-ion desolvation and enhances ion transport remains elusive. A recent study published in National Science Review introduces a glassy metal-organic framework (MOF glass) coating developed by a team at China's Central South University, offering a solution to both challenges. The designed MOF-coated graphite anode enables selective pre-desolvation of Li⁺ ions and establishes a highly conductive interface for Li⁺ ions, leading to remarkable cycling stability under high-current conditions. This work opens a transformative strategy toward fast-charging and high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.

The authors have proposed the Microbiota-derived metabolites–epigenetics (MDME) axis, a conceptual framework explaining how microbial metabolites function as a critical link between the environment and host health. These metabolites directly instruct the host's epigenome, reprogramming gene expression and regulating host health and diseases. Diverse categories of metabolites contributing to host health via different epigenetic mechanisms are comprehensively discussed. This perspective moves beyond simple associations to provide a predictive model for how our lifestyle, mediated by our microbiome, shapes our health and disease risk, opening new avenues for mechanistic and therapeutic studies.

Recently, Professor Baowen Zhou’s team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, in collaboration with Professor Fenglong Wang’s team at Shandong University, proposed a design strategy for the efficient utilization of plasmon-derived energy by confining densely neighbored Ru nanoparticles within a dielectric shell. In this work, the researchers employed porous SiO₂ (pSiO₂) as a transparent dielectric matrix to confine Ru nanoparticles in close proximity while preserving nanoscale interparticle gaps, thereby constructing a photothermal nanoreactor (Ru_m@pSiO₂). This architecture synergistically integrates strong plasmonic coupling, electromagnetic field confinement, and nanoscale thermal management. In photo-thermal CO₂ methanation, the optimized Ru_m@pSiO₂-2 catalyst exhibits exceptional CH₄ production with nearly 100% selectivity, surpasses conventional surface-loaded (Ru_m/pSiO₂) and isolated (Ru₁@pSiO₂) catalysts, and retains high activity under low ambient temperatures and natural sunlight. This study comprehensively elucidates the mechanism underlying the efficient utilization of plasmon-derived energy in photo-thermal catalysis and offers new insights and theoretical guidance for the rational design of next-generation high-performance photothermal catalysts. These findings have been published in Science Bulletin under the title: “Densely-neighbored-Ru nanoparticles confined in porous-SiO₂ shell for efficient CO₂ methanation via plasmon-coupling-enhanced photo-thermal catalysis”.

Single-crystal materials, characterized by structural uniformity and exceptional intrinsic properties, are crucial for high-performance device applications. A research team has now developed a universal method to produce large-scale single-crystal metal foils by establishing a fundamental correlation among strain, stored energy, texture, and single-crystal formation. The study reveals that sufficient deformation-stored energy is essential for generating a uniform cubic recrystallization texture, which reliably guides foils toward single-crystal conversion. This approach is compatible with cast, rolled, and electrodeposited precursors, and enables the scalable fabrication of single-crystal copper and nickel foils with both low- and high-index surfaces. These findings present a new paradigm for single-crystal metal manufacturing and lay a critical materials foundation for future industrial applications.

Scientists have built the ‘material networks’ to map which elements can be mixed to form metallic glasses. This novel approach reveals hidden patterns in the past 60 years of research data, identifies an ‘innovation trap’ in traditional material design, and provides a powerful strategy to design these complex and valuable materials more intelligently.

A new study of 4,348 children who underwent heart surgery in China identifies 14 factors linked to longer ICU stays. Key risks include younger age, post-surgery complications, and need for resuscitation. Findings can help hospitals better plan care and manage resources.

Pterosaur is the first group of vertebrates with powered flight. It originated in the Late Triassic and became extinct with dinosaurs (excluding birds) at the end of the Cretaceous. Various diets of pterosaurs were proposed using different interpretations, such as content fossils and comparative anatomy. However, the understanding of the diets of many pterosaurs have still been on debate, which is mainly because of the rarity of stomach content found in pterosaurs. In this paper, the researchers found an elliptical content in the stomach position of a Sinopterus specimen. They extracted more than 300 phytoliths from the stomach content but none from the matrix of the same specimen. This demonstrates that these phytoliths, firstly appeared in pterosaurs, were eaten by this Sinopterus rather than any pollution after its death. Phytolith is a microstructure produced by all kinds of plants, and it varies among different plants and different positions of the same individual. Besides the phytoliths, many gastroliths (stones within the body cavity) were also discovered in the stomach content, which is the second pterosaur specimen with gastroliths. The combination of phytoliths and gastroliths, without any bones, scales or exoskeletons, strongly suggest that Sinopterus is herbivorous.